Shun corruption, Katsina-Alu tells judicial officers

BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI

ABUJA-For the judiciary to retain its pride of place in the present democratic setting, judicial officers across the country must avoid bribery and corruption like a dreaded plague, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, has said.

The CJN, who made the declaration yesterday while flagging-off a 3-day workshop for Registrars and Court Clerks, holding at the National Judicial Institute, NJI,  maintained that “for an effective administration of justice in Nigeria, all supporting staff of the Federal and State Judiciaries must strive towards a better working relationship and exhibit diligence, transparency and integrity in the discharge of their duties to the public”.

Katsina-Alu, represented at the event by the Administrator of the Institute, Justice Umaru Eri, stressed that, “the performance of the Registrars, Court Clerks and other supporting staff of the judiciary can make or mar the administration of justice in the country”.

According to him, “the basic hostilities against these category of judicial officers stem from complaints of the litigants, lawyers and public against the discourtesy, extortion, lateness, absenteeism, undue delay processes, improper handling of court records and documents and other corrupt practices by the supporting staff.

“The vices should be avoided like a plague. There are sanctions for these ethical violations which the judiciary will not hesitate to invoke to ensure that administration of justice does not suffer. A negligent or corrupt Registrar or Court Clerk is bad for administration of justice; it also casts a slur on the integrity of a judicial officer with whom he works on the entire court system.”